Paloma
The paloma is a highball of tequila, grapefruit soda, a squeeze of lime and a pinch of salt, served over ice. It is one of the most common tequila drinks in Mexico, yet its origin is undocumented and a widely repeated early source for it has turned out to be fictitious.
Name
Paloma is Spanish for dove. Wikipedia notes that some people instead connect the name to pomelo, a Spanish word for grapefruit. Neither explanation has been documented.
Origin
No bar or bartender has a verified claim to the paloma. For years Wikipedia cited a 1953 pamphlet called Popular Cocktails of the Rio Grande, attributed to an Evan Harrison, as the first mention of the drink. Writing on Alcademics in 2017, Camper English reported that researcher Jeremy Foyd could find no copyright record or other evidence of the pamphlet, that the references first appeared on Wikipedia around 2012 and 2013, and that Foyd concluded the book does not exist. English suggests the citation was a joke that spread.
Another story credits Don Javier, owner of the bar La Capilla in the town of Tequila. Alcademics, citing Jim Meehan's bartender manual, and Tasting Table both report that Don Javier himself denied inventing the paloma; Tasting Table says he is better known for the batanga, a tequila and cola drink.
What can be dated is the soda. Squirt, the first commercial grapefruit soda, was created in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1938 and first exported to Mexico in 1955, according to both Alcademics and Tasting Table. Drinks historian David Wondrich found a 1950 Squirt advertisement showing a similar drink without naming it, and a 1973 ad suggesting Squirt with tequila among other spirits. The earliest printed uses of the name he located are a nonalcoholic Virgin Paloma in a 2000 cookbook and a 2001 newspaper mention; Meehan states that neither the name nor the recipe appears in drink guides before Wondrich's own 2005 book. Camper English concludes that the drink could not have existed before grapefruit soda did, and that it is unclear whether it first appeared in Mexico or the United States.
Preparation
The standard paloma is built in a tall glass: tequila, a little fresh lime juice and a pinch of salt over ice, topped with grapefruit soda and stirred gently. Wikipedia gives 50 milliliters of 100% agave tequila, 5 milliliters of lime juice, a pinch of salt and 100 milliliters of pink grapefruit soda. In Mexico the soda is usually Squirt or Jarritos toronja; Fresca is another common choice. A salt rim is optional.
The two-ingredient version is simply tequila and grapefruit soda. Cocktail bars often use fresh grapefruit juice with club soda and a little sugar instead. The cantarito of Jalisco is a close relative that adds orange and other citrus juices and is served in a clay cup.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 fl oz (60 ml) blanco tequila, 100% agave
- 1/4 to 1/2 fl oz (7 to 15 ml) fresh lime juice
- 1 small pinch of salt
- 4 fl oz (120 ml) grapefruit soda, chilled
- Ice and a lime wedge
Steps
- Fill a highball glass with ice.
- Add the tequila, lime juice and salt.
- Top with grapefruit soda.
- Stir gently once or twice so the soda keeps its fizz.
- Garnish with a lime wedge.
For a fresh-juice version, use 2 fl oz (60 ml) grapefruit juice, 1/2 fl oz (15 ml) simple syrup and 2 fl oz (60 ml) club soda in place of the grapefruit soda.
Reviews
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See also
References
- "Paloma". Wikipedia. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "Paloma History – Tracing the Facts and Fiction about this Tequila Cocktail's History". Alcademics. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "The Contentious Origin Of The Paloma Cocktail". Tasting Table. Retrieved 2026-10-10.